Stephen Ministry Update

During the last few weeks, the Stephen Minister trainees have continued with excitement and enthusiasm as they study the topics of Process Verses Resultsin Caregiving plus Parts I and II of Assertiveness: Relating Gently and Firmly.

The Process Verses Results in Caregiving – Stephen Minister trainees learn from this module the key understanding that they don’t have to (and indeed can’t) fix whatever problem it is that their care receiver faces. This will be a time for a collective sigh of relief. God is the curegiver; the Stephen Minister is the caregiver. This definitely defines the roles in what makes Stephen Ministry possible. The concept is counter to the strong results-oriented approaches of present-day society. But in caregiving, the more one pushes for results in another, the faster and farther they flee.

Assertiveness: Relating Gently and Firmly – Assertiveness has gained a bad name for itself in some circles of churches. It has been taken to mean “getting my own way,” which is erroneous. In fact, assertiveness is about relating to others gently and firmly.

In these two modules the Stephen Ministers discuss and apply the principles they have read in the book Speaking the Truth in Love: How to Be an Assertive Christian, which uses Jesus as the model for assertive behavior. They will learn the differences between passive, aggressive and assertive behavior.

During this busy time of the year, we ask that you continue your prayers for the Stephen Minister Leaders and Trainees. Stephen Minister Leaders will continue to lead and prepare the Stephen Minister trainees with skills to service members of Second Presbyterian church and people within the community in need.